Improved pattern for measuring the body for garments



PATEN'r OFFICE.

Mosns rALMnazJa., on Bosr'on, MAssAoHUsETTs, AND n. WILLOUGHBY `Annnason,`` or wAsHINGToN, Drsrnior or ooLUMBiA.

iMRRovED PATTERN` FOR MEAsuRylNG `THE BODY FOR GARMENTS.

To. all whom 'it may concern:

Be it known that we, Mosns PLMER, Jr., of Boston, Massachusetts, `and E. WILLOUGHBY `ANDERSON, of Washington,District of Colum- `is a View of the same when laid on a plane surface as a pattern. Fig. 3 is a detail.

Our invention has relation to means for fitting the upper part of the body; and consists in the construction of a contractible and adjustable vest, capable of being accurately fittedpto the form, and afterward of being extended flat on a plane surface, to serve as a pattern by which the fronts and backs of dresses, coats, shirts, &c., may be cut.

A vest may be considered as a bag, with four openings in it. Taking such a vest as a nucleus, we vary its capacity by lapping those portions of it which lie between the opcnings along the lines of the'seams. The size and form of the openings are also varied by means of adjustable slides.

From the nature of its construction the same i vest is capable of being fitted to individuals of different sizes, and its parts will retain their relative position after it has been removed fromflthe'form.

The vest shown as an illustration of our invention in the drawing consists of a front and two back pieces. The back is divided in order to allow the vest to be spread on a plane surface, for use as apattern. Thefront might g? divided instead if it were thought desira- In fitting for the yoke of a shirt it is not necessary that either back or front shall be divided. They may both be entire, and the separation may take place along the line of seam of either shoulder.

The letter A designates the front, usually made entire. The front as well as the back should be of strong closely-woven cloth or leather. If cloth is employed it should be, as nearly as possible, inelastic, and the texture should be such that the threads will not readily move upon each other. The letters B B'representthe back pieces, arranged to-be secured together along the central line of the back when the vest is adjusted on the person. The ends b b b' b' of the back and front pieces, between the neck and arm-holes, are lapped over each other, in order that they may be movable with reference to each other, and that the vest may thereby be expanded or contracted, to suit the size of the person about the Shoulders.

In a similar manner the adjacent ends of the front and backs,'under the arm-holes, are lapped.

. Slots c c are formed in these lapping ends, the slots extending indirections at right angles with the lines of the seams. The lapping ends are drawn closelyr together, and secured by means of clamping-screws z z.

The vest is now fitted to the person in so far as its general form is concerned; but in order for it to serve as a pattern the lines of the edges of the cloth in the neck and armholes must be indicated in their proper position and shape. The shape and position of these lines depend on the size and contour of the person, and vary with each individual. The position ofa certain number of points of these lines is therefore fixed before the vest is taken off. This is done by means of the adjustable slides d d, which project from the edge of the vest, around the neck and armyholes, in directions at nearly right angles to the edge of the vest or curvature thereof. These slides are secured by clamp-screws, and are sometimes nu-mbered and graduated for convenience. The proj ecting ends are rounded. The clamp-screws z z are peculiar in their construction. The screw is perforated centrally at n.

Care should be taken in the adj ustment of these clamp-screws to keep them in the required line' of seam.

a a are eyelets, vertically arranged in the central line of the front.

Sometimes we employ the slots and perforated oiamp-sorews for the connection of the balks, lapping their adjaoent edges over eaeh ot' er.

After the vest is adjusted to the form, and the edges of the pattern properly defined by means of the slides and. slots, the elamp-sorews are set and the vest taken off, the baoks being separated.

It can now be spread flat on a plane surfaoe, and, following the points given by the ronnded ends of the slides d d, the ontter can readily and With :free hand desoribe the pat tern on paper, or mark the proper shape With ohalk on the material itseif.

The lines of the seams are obtained by priokin g; or marking through the apertures n of the olamp-sorews z z.

In measnring for shirts, where only the shape of the neok and length of shoulder are required, we sometimes empioy two reotangular stripsof material, Cutting out the onrve of the neok by hand, applying them to the person from front and rear, overlapping their free ends, and marking on the lapped ends the positions of the shoulder-seams.

What we eiaim as our invention, and desire to secure by Letters Patent, is-

1. The adjustable vest or pattern consisting of front and back portions, attaohed together by means of slots o and perforated olampsorews z, and provided with the sliding plates d, to determine the curvatures of the neok-'slope and arm-hole, substantially as speoified.

2. A vest or pattern eonsisting'of front and back pieoes having their ends b b b' b' over 1apped,so as to fix them in relatve positions, determined by the shape and slope of the body, snbstantially as speoified.

3. The oentraliy-perforated oiamp-sorew z, as speoified.

ln testimony that We claim the above we have hereunto subsoribed our names in the presenoe of two witnesses.

MOSES PALMER, JR. E. W. ANDERSON.

Witnesses:

D. D. KANE, THOS. R. YOUNG. 

